New Haven Today, But Tomorrow – Two Views

The streets of the City of New Haven are well packed with young people and even suburbanites for the first time in decades. Apartment rehabs and new complexes have sprung up across the Elm City. The numbers are real and big, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars in the past few years alone, nearly all paying full taxes. A small but growing cadre of tech businesses, biotech and software have taken root and a “start-up” culture has begun to emerge to fill those apartments.

That all said, the City in many ways has never been weaker as it sits on the precipice of a financial disaster. A huge 11% tax increase has created real anger by taxpayers and large concerns by business leaders. The huge tax boost will not be enough to solve the city's financial problem but perhaps its real purpose is to convince state legislators that a state bailout is justifiable.

We bring your attention to the views of two of New Haven’s “opinion stalwarts.” Joel Schiavone has been writing for Business New Haven online about the city in the past two months, he offers The Collapse of New Havenand we suggest you also read the New Haven Independent’s Paul Bass's recent article, Dark Days Or Salad Days? Both.